Hopecore?

I dare you to, amidst all of this, be happy for a day.

Last night I scrolled past a video of a ball of fire as tall as a skyscraper. Last night, my boyfriend leaned over and told me they were now bombing desalination plants. The day before I organized one of my usual German immigration language exams and there was one woman that couldn’t concentrate. She was from Iran and had found out about the death of her uncle and cousin that morning.

This October, I am planning to visit New York. Now, I’m feeling increasingly nervous to go there. A week ago, the train station in my city was surrounded by police and entirely evacuated due to a bomb threat.

These are scary times. I pray for everyone involved in war every single day. After elections yesterday, the right party has—yet again—gained new voters. I admit, I am afraid of the future. I have been so sheltered all my life and now, democracy seems fragile. War suddenly feels possible. We have all grown desensitized.

So, if everything goes to shit: Enjoy your freedom while you have it. Listen to the birds while there are no warplanes in the air. And most importantly, protect democracy while you have the chance: Go vote. Every election matters. Get politically active. Find a cause that you care about or a political party. Read. Protest, while you can. And pray for those who can’t, every night.